Nolan Arenado returned to the plate on Friday night at Coors Field with a lot on his mind. Even before a tie the game in the fifth inning against the Cubs went on to become a landslide loss for the Rockies, Colorado’s all-star third baseman let some regret about the events from the week set in.

“I just felt guilty not being there,” Arenado said of his return from a five-game suspension for charging the mound on April 11 after Padres pitcher Luis Perdomo threw a ball behind him, causing a melee in the infield. “I felt like if they lost, it was because I wasn’t helping.” Colorado was 3-2 in Arenado’s absence, hitting .170 with a .241 on-base percentage.

Seven full days had passed since Arenado saw a big-league pitch. Antsy and ready to get back into the swing of things (pun intended), Arenado swatted the first pitch he saw from Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks for a two-run homer to left-center field, giving the Rockies a 3-2 lead. It...